tyler



` xo j l lastembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a een- UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFCE.

'ABEL D. TYLER, Jn., or-WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS," Assien'on or' Y ,-ONE- HALFQTG SllIlIEIrRMAXVHINNEY, OF SAMEfPLAClC.

.To all wmnt flint/1.1] concer/IY:

.Be "it known that I, ABEL l). TYLER, Jr., 'a citizen of the United States, residing at lVorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of lllassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lasts',of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of tlie same, and in whicli Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a tral vertical sectional view; and Fig. 3 is a .top View of the connecting-links by which the two sections of the last may beunitcd for the purpose f relievingr the hinge-joint. from strain, if so desired.

dillerentiigures.

Similar letters referto similar parts in the My inventionj relates to that class of lasts which are divided transversely into two seetions, so as to allow the last to be contracted in length and'withdrawn from the boot or shoe without exerting. any strain upon the upper 'bythe'renioval of the last; and the object of my inventionjs to increase the strength and rigidity of the last'when in use and to so shape and arrange thesections ,of the last as to facilitate its removal and increase its elli- The' lastembodying my in volition is d i vided .transversely into two-'scetions. One of these sectionsA includes the heel portion of the last and the other section B the forward portion of 'Y the last,7these sections being generally called,

les

uespectively, the fheel part and fore apart. 'In forming -these parts the `last is (in thepreferred form-now shown) divided on the last obliquely upward, so as to make the angleD onthe portion B between the line C C and the bottom of the 'last al1-obtuse angle.-

extending from the bottom of the The portion ll is then cut away on the line E E', beginning at or-near the center of the line C C' and extending obliquely upward and Vforward tothe point E', thence onthe line E' E2 vertically, so as to form a right angle withthe toplineF of the last, forming an pe'nfspa'ce G between the portions A and 12v.l fthe; leaves "1I II f a hinge are inserted in slotseut inqthe sections A B of the last and are heldin place bypins, (shown by broken SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters ratez-1t No. 601,622, dated March-29, 1898.

I Application mcd June 9.1993. saisine-177,068. (No nada.)

lines II-ll",) so as to connect the two sections y of the last by a hinge-joint having its pintle I or axis of its rotationlyng within the angle tion at a, as indicated by the broken lin d",

equal to the radial distance from Athe axis' ot' the pintleto the point b at the bottom of the hecls'ection, as indicated by thebroken line i bf, said measurements being taken in a plane dividing the last in the center vertically, as shown by the sectional. view in Fig. 2, and

the two equal radii a and Il' are also the radii" of the arc of the circle a '11, so that the path of the pointbl as the heel-section'is raised' y' will correspond with the are a b, 0r,"in other werds, the axis of rota-tion of the heel-section is concentric with the are of the circle afb, bounding the rear side of the heel-section from the bottom of thehcel at b to the center of the heelat a.'

ithin the heel portion VIA, I place a me-v tallic bushing J to receive a, bench-pin, and around the upper end of the bushing J is a met-allie strap J', provided with ears J" J,,v -lying within a yslot J the last. link J4,

plug J, inserted in and fastened to the front portion B of the last. 4with a,lug J7, arranged to extend over and come in contact Wit-hthe upper edge of the link J and acting as a stop, so` that when the center joint ofthe link is depressed below a straight lineas shownin Fig. l, the links will serve as a rigid brace to hold the two sections in their extended position. Whe'n the last is nin use and a strain brought upon thebottom ofthe last, such as would be exerted in pounding upon the sole of the boot, the links .l4 J5'. will hold the sect-ions A and their top and relieve the hinge from strain. By separating the two sections of the last upon the-lineC C and hiuging them together at or To the ears J2, I pivot one 'end'of a in the heel portion of having its opposite end pivoted to a 'lhe link. 5 is provided -B together 'at near the center of the heel-section I provide an obtuse angle at I), which is not liable to' catch and which provides a longsurface in contact between the points C and E, and by hinging the two sections together, with the vIOS' pintle of the hingc'included within and near theapexA of the angie C' E E', Itenlable the heel-section to be. turnedrinto' 'the .position shown in Fig. 2 wit-hout causingmhe lower corner of the heel at C to project below .the

'line of the last when in its normal position.

The str'an upon, the links J i .l5 is received at one-'end by the strip J' and bushing J,

f' firmly held within the heel portion ofthe l'ast vre l andat the opposite end by the plngJ, which ,entends a considerable distance. into the body ofthe last and is held by a pin J 8.

P-lle'front portion B' of on the line E E'sufciently'to allow the heel portion'A to bev raised into the position shown in Eig. 2, andan angle isforme'd at E'by the vertical line E E2 in ord-er to preserve the upper portion or instep ofthe last at F, so as tov form at this point a'support'for the upper.4

1 am aware that lasts divided transversely and having; their sections hinged together are' notnew', and I do not claim. such broadly.

' The location of the pivot in or above the lipe of pressure betweenthe heel and toe,4 tending to collapse the last,r prevents the last fromcollapsing topward as well as bottom ward. jlfhere 1s a tendency sometimes in the v.leather to contract, and thus there is a tendency .to collapse the last topward, and in the'. course of manufacture strains are frequently exerted-,upon the shoe and contained last thattend to collapse the last -bottoniw'ard The describedv elevation of the .hinge above the bottomof the last produces broad and slibstantial bearing-surfaces at-the opposed ends of thefore .part and'heel 'part belowthehinge or articulation, and these surfaces prevent the last from 'collapsingbottomward. By the described location of the pivotal connection?- a last is prod u'cedsuitable for very extensive practical' use without the employment of any fillingb lo-ck or otherd-evice between the upper portions of the fore part and-heel part.

By line of pressure between the toe and heel tending to collapse the last is meant all the pressures to which a last of thiskind is .subjected in use and which tend to'collap'se it. Thus in the process of maiufaeturiug shoes* these lasts are subject to longitudinal and alsoto vertical' pressures which tend to collapse the last, and at other times the lasts'j are subjected to' longitudinal pressures which tend to collapse them and which are exerted by the shrinkage or inhel-en'telasticity of the upper leather after lit lis ron iflhe last. 4The linel of this pressure is fromsaibout half to three-quarters Iot' an l.inch above the back lower corner of the heel to thetoeof the last,

and when the shoe 4and lastare 'in operative relation, both in as well as out of such machines, as theleveling andv beating-ontmachines, wherein the last is vsubjected to enormous pressure, the line of longitudinal presusure tending to collapse the last is a ixed although the occasional verticalv pressure which also ten/ls to collapse the last i quantity,

may shift from point to point over the solethe last is cut away eonez ot' all instances wherethe pressure between "heel, aud toe tending to collapse is present or occurs-and the gist of this matter kwill be best 4unde'rstf od last, wherein thevpivot is located inorabve tending to collapse the last, so' thatit does not shut' up like a jackkuife, with lasts such .as-shown in the January l, 1889, in which the liingebetween it will collapse like a jackknife when a prestically from bottom toward crown.

Serial No. 449,962, filed October 25, 1892, the

the hinge so as to produce atransverselydif vided hinged'last, which, whatever its size orst-yle, (cont.r,) enables the last to Vshorten'. when the'heel part is turned upward and forward and Aalso to be self-sustaining under the jected when in the shoe, is determined .as follows: Strike three circles of equal diameter, one from the upper rear corner of the as to pass through. the fore part, a second from the middle point of the extreme rear the heel part, anda third from the lower rear corner of theheel part. 'These .circles will intersect between the top and bottom of .the

contacting end surfaces of the heel partand fore part, the pivotrbeiug located just below all three circles do not intersect at one'point. The length of radii of the circles lmay be -varied, but it is generally'de'sirable in the present-type ofl'asts to have the points of interfore part. By reference to- Fig. 2 the reason. of the rule for so locatingthe pivot will be struck from the rear upper corner f', of the heel part as aeenter. faf2 representa portion of a. circle struck from the -middle point f3 of the vrear line of the heel part as a' center, and fl 4 represent a portion of a-circlestruck from` the lower rear Icorner f5 as a center. ,Lines y" f and f4 j" intersect at f6 and lines f f and f lowermos't intersection. If the pivot I were werel moved upwardly;.'but the shortening .would not be sufficient to allow the wider the fore part and .heel partis so located that line of last far enough above the last to insure the.

apparent. f f represent a portion ofa circle' j"2 intersect at f7, the latter being the when .the sole of theflasted but if the sole" offthe lasted shoe. bein such a machine as is set forth in stant., These illustrations of what is includedby said phrase are not'intende'd to beinclusive from I'a comparison of this the line of pressure between. heel and toe 5 Smith patent, No. 395,668, of

s ure occurs longitudinally'of the last or ver- As. already explained in 'my application, I

properl location of the pivot or .line of head of fili/5 'TCG- lengthwise pressures to which the last is sublast, so

the lower intersection of two of the circles lif section rearward of the instep portionof the Irs . 13 i. located at this lowerruost intersection f the I Alast would'actu'ally shorten if the heel part 601,622 l sf treadandi inmediately adjacent side portions of theheel part to swing freely through and out of the narrower ankle-space of the shoe without distorting the latter or injuring the backstays. z Therefore `in practice I mount the hinge in such wisc as to bring its line of bend or pivot a little below this lowermost intersection.

Th'e linl's ,I and A.l7 may be wholly dispensed 1o with, if desired,.in.r`nost us'es towhich lasts of this class areput, and the parts4 of the last may be sawed on somewhat different lines than those indicated without departure from m invention.

y. .'dditional advantages of my improved last areas follows: The preferable yinsertion of the leaves of the hinge in the body of the last gives the combi ned parts a strength that en# ablcs the last to. withstand the heavy pressure 2o frequently exerted upon the bottom of the last by leveling and beating-outv machines, there being no liability of tearing the fastenings from the wood. The location of the hinge permits the shorteningr of the last when the heel part is swung upward'and forward without scraping the lower front corner of the heel part againstthe insole of the shoe and thereby abrading it.

Y. W hat I claim as my invention, and desire Y .3.o to secure by Letters Patent, isr 1. A last comprisingafore part and a heel part connected by a pivot to enable said parts to have a relative movement for shortening v the last, `said pivot being located in or above 55 the line of pressure between the toe and hee tending to collapse said last.

2, In a transverselyLdivided last, the com-4 bination of a h eel part aud a front-'partdi# f vided on aline eXtending'from-the bottoni to 4o the top of the last and having an angular piece removed forming a space, as at G, with its apex near-the center of the last, said heel and fore parts beingprovided with transverse slots in a horizontal plane to receive. the leaves of a hingega hinge uniting said heel and' front sections haviug'its leaves inclosed within said transverse slots in the heel and fore parts, Vand means for retaining said leaves within said slots, whereby the strain in a vertical plane upon the leaves of the hinge, is received "by the body of the last, substantially as described.

3. In a transversely-dividedlast, the combination ot a heel part and a fore. part divided on the line C, C', and having an angularpiece removed, forming the sides E, E', and E, C', and inclosing an angle having its apex near the center of the last, said heel and fore parts being provided with transverse slots in a horizontal plane to receive the leaves of a hinge; a hinge uniting said heel aud fore parts and having its leaves inclosed wwhin said transverse slots in the heel and fore part-s and means for retaining saidleaves within s aid slots', whereby the strain in a vertical plane uponthe leaves of the hinge is received by the body of the last, substantially as described.

4. In a transversely-divided last, the combination of a heel part A, provided with a metal bushing J, a fore .part B hinged to said heel part, a plug J 6'inserted in and attached to said fore part, astrap J inclosing said" bushing J and having ears J 2 and links J4 and J 5 connecting said ears and said plug, whereby said heel and fore parts are connected at the top; of the last, substantially as described",

5. In a transverselydivided last, the com bination with a fore part and heel part formed with opposed contacting ends from the bottom of the last upwardlyto 'near the middle thereof, and vwith an open space, above said contacting surfaces and between the upper l portions of the inner ends of the fore part and heel part, of a hingel whose leaves are respectively inserted and secured' in the fore part and heel part with the line of bend of \the hinge above said contacting surfaces, all arranged and operating, substantially as described, to permit the last to shorten when the heel part is turned upward and forward, and

v to make the last self-sustainin g under length- Wise pressure in the shoe.

Dated this' 2d 'day of June, 1893.

ABEL D. TYLER. JR. Witnesses:

RUFUS B. FOWLER, EMMA KESTER. 

